MSC Cruises has today confirmed the order for two ships powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the French shipbuilder Chantiers de l'Atlantique.
This confirms the order for two World Class ships under a deal with an option for a fifth. The two new ships on order, currently designated World Class 3 and 4, will be delivered in 2026 and 2027.
MSC World Europe and MSC World America are already the most energy-efficient ships in the industry, exceeding the requirements of the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI), and the new ones will be an evolution of the latest generation World Class prototype.
They will be equipped for various alternative fuels, including bio- and synthetic methane and green methanol. They will also feature the next generation of dual-fuel internal combustion engines with reduced methane slip.
Pierfrancesco Vago, CEO of MSC Cruises, stated: “We are proud to continue our 20-year partnership with Chantiers de l'Atlantique, with whom we have already built 18 ships and have our 19th under construction. World Class is a truly innovative prototype, and together we are building some of the most advanced ships in the world.”
“We are committed to research and investment in future environmental technologies as they become available, to ensure that we continue to advance on our decarbonization journey to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.”“.
Laurent Castaing, CEO of Chantiers de l'Atlantique, added: “At a challenging time for the European shipbuilding industry, MSC Cruises has demonstrated its confidence in our capabilities and skills with this order. We would therefore like to express our gratitude to MSC Cruises for their renewed confidence at this crucial moment. Furthermore, MSC Cruises, always striving to reduce the environmental impact of its ships quickly and significantly, has accepted a substantial cost premium to improve the energy efficiency of these new ships, which, according to the IMO EEDI index, will emit 50% less CO2 than the 2008 IMO reference.”
Castaing continued: “We also want to thank our government, whose support for our R&D policy to make our ships more environmentally friendly has enabled us to meet the customer's expectations for this order.”
The new World Class ships will feature plug-in shore power connectivity to reduce carbon emissions while in port, IMO-compliant wastewater treatment systems, advanced waste management, and a full range of energy-efficient onboard equipment to optimize engine use and meet hotel energy needs, further reducing emissions.
The two new orders are subject to access to financing, as is standard industry practice.
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